I run this experiment with leaders all the time.
First, I ask: “Does your team work hard?”
Almost every leader says yes. “Man, yeah. Absolutely. My team works hard.”
Then I ask their employees: “Does your leader know how hard you work? Do they recognize it?”
The answer is almost always: “Well… they understand a little bit. But I don’t think they really know. And I’m definitely not recognized for it.”
Same organization. Completely different realities.
This is a blind spot that haunts me. Not because leaders don’t care. They do. The problem is they can’t see what they can’t see.
The Blind Spot: You Don’t Know How Hard They Work
Here’s what’s happening in your organization right now.
Your team is grinding through details you never see. Solving problems you don’t know exist. Carrying weight you don’t realize they’re lifting.
Meanwhile, you assume they know you appreciate them.
They don’t feel it.
You think you recognize their hard work. You might even say it occasionally. You definitely appreciate it internally. But there’s a massive gap between what you think you’re communicating and what they’re actually receiving.
And that gap is invisible to you.
I’ve watched organizations lose their best people not because they weren’t paid well. Not because the work was hard. They left because their contribution felt invisible.
Think about your own life for a moment. You do something difficult. You sacrifice. You go above and beyond. And the person responsible doesn’t acknowledge it—doesn’t see it.
How long does that work before you stop trying?
Not long.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
When hard work goes unrecognized long enough, people stop doing hard work—or they take it somewhere else.
Your competitors are probably already recruiting from your organization. And they’re not selling a bigger paycheck. They’re selling: “We’ll see how hard you work. We’ll recognize it.”
That’s powerful.
But beyond turnover, this blind spot kills momentum from the inside. Your team becomes disengaged. They stop going the extra mile. They stop solving problems proactively. They stop caring about the details.
Not because they’re bad people. Because they don’t feel seen.
And when people don’t feel seen, they show up differently.
How to Close This Blind Spot
Recognition isn’t just about saying “good job.” It’s about showing you understand what the job actually requires.
First: Do Your Homework to Understand What They’re Actually Doing
You can’t recognize work you don’t see.
What if you sat in a meeting you never normally sit in? Just to understand what your team is actually doing. You walk in and listen to the details. The problems they’re solving. The weight they’re carrying.
Then you say: “Guys, this is incredible. I had no idea you were diving into these details.”
You bring voice to what you discover.
The CEO of Southwest Airlines does this constantly. He shows up unannounced to grab bags at the gate or work behind the ticket counter. Not because they’re short-staffed. Because he wants to understand the actual work his people are doing.
When he sees it, he acknowledges it. He shakes their hand. He hugs them. He says thank you—not generically, but specifically, for what he just witnessed.
That’s what closes the blind spot.
Second: Honor Their Work Publicly
To honor someone is to lift them up. To put them in first place instead of second place.
This could look like:
- Publicly recognizing a specific project they solved in a team meeting
- Bringing them into a meeting where their work matters, so they see the impact
- Asking them to present their work to leadership
- Simply showing up to see what they’re working on and asking questions
The key is: Don’t just say “good job.” Show them you see what they’re doing and why it matters.
Third: Join Them in Actually Doing the Work
Occasionally, walk into a room you don’t normally enter on your team. Ask: “How can I help?”
Then actually help. Take a piece of the work and help them finish it.
It’s like a football coach getting on the line of scrimmage instead of sitting on the sideline. There’s a difference in how people feel when their leader is willing to get in the mud with them.
You don’t have to do this constantly. But showing up and asking “how can I help?”—that speaks volumes.
Your Next Move
This week:
Pick one team member. Ask them: “What are you working on right now that I probably don’t see?”
Then listen. Really listen.
When they tell you, find one way to honor it:
- Publicly recognize it in your next team meeting
- Help them finish a piece of it
- Show up in a meeting you’d normally skip just to understand their work
- Ask them to teach you how they solved a specific problem
This month:
Make it a rhythm. Once a week, ask one team member about their work. Find one way to honor it.
Before your next team meeting:
Ask yourself: “Who on this team has done work I haven’t acknowledged?” Then acknowledge it. Publicly. Specifically.
Ready to Close This Blind Spot?
If your team doesn’t feel recognized, it’s affecting everything—engagement, retention, execution, culture.
This blind spot is connected to three others that sabotage team dynamics even further. Want to see all four? Watch the full webinar: The 4 Blind Spots Every Leader Needs to Know
Or if you want to work with someone to close these gaps in real-time with your actual team, consider working with an executive coach who can help you build a culture where people actually feel seen.
[Schedule Your 30-Minute Culture Audit]
P.S. — The most common realization I hear from leaders after they actually do the homework to see how hard their team works is: “I had no idea.” Don’t feel terrible about what you missed. Feel motivated to change it. Your team is waiting to be seen.
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